Elderly Interview
I chose my mother in-law Linda to be the subject of this interview. She is 68 years old, born on December 05, 1946. Mom Ida is a married Filipina female who look like still in her 50’s. The wrinkles around her eyes and lips are hardly seen in her face especially when she wore make-up. She has a short black hair, which I regularly cut every 3 months and dyed once a month. She weighs one hundred forty two pounds now but whenever she changed her diet the results varies. She is five feet five inches tall which according to her, as far as she remembers never grown or shrunk.
Mom Ida and Dad Angel lives in a single family home where they raised their 5 kids. I considered her in the young-old category because she is healthy, active, financially secure and independent. (Berger, 503)
BIOSOCIAL
1.Eden: Do you make friends? Mom: Yes, I like making friends.
2. Eden: Do you tell people your age? Mom: No, unless they ask. I don’t want people think that I am a senior citizen specially the younger generation. They think old are not capable of doing things. Although, most people always say I look younger than my age.
3. Eden: Is there any specific health issues has aging brought you? Mom: No specific health issues because I don’t take any medication but I watch my diet because my cholesterol and blood pressure are high if not. My sleep pattern changed, I sleep early and woke up early too.
4. Eden: Do you wear eye glasses? Why or why not? Mom: Yes, only when I read. I can still drive without it.
5. Eden: Has your hearing changed since you were younger? Mom A little bit but not bad.
6. Is there any change that your body has gone through with age? Mom: I gained more body fats
7. Do you exercise? Mom : yes, walking every morning around the neighborhood to lose all those body fats.
8. What is the biggest technological change you’ve seen in your life? Mom : Computers and the internet
9. What is your favorite form of communication? Mom: Telephone/cell phone, I can’t still get used to texting
10. How many children do you have? Any problem or issues in giving birth? Mom: 5, all natural birth
11. How are your children like you? Unlike you? Mom : I think my first and third sons are like me- kind, loving and generous. My other kids are more like their dads.
12. Would you consider living with your kids as you grow older? Mom: No, I’m not going to do that even if they want to.
13. Do you have any rituals to take care of yourself? Mom : Yes, I don’t forget to moisturize my face and body every day. That will make you young.

COGNITIVE
14. When do things start to change your perception of growing older? Mom: It’s very gradual, when I was younger and working my memory is sharp with numbers since I’ve been working in the Accounting field in my entire career but now starting to slow down. I can’t remember phone number unless I keep using it.
15. Did you go through changes from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s decade? Mom : Every decade bring changes on the 70’s my firstborn was born, on the 80’s I felt that I’ve grown and accomplished so much in my career. On the 90’s is challenging because we migrated here in the US and everything is changed.
16. As we get older, do we get wiser? Mom : Definitely, I learned from what happens in the past –good and bad experiences.
17. Did you like school? What kind of grades did you get? Mom : yes, I am always on top of my class. I graduated valedictorian in High School.
18. What is your first job? Mom: In the Philippines I don’t work until I finished college, I work at the Finance Department at the Naval Base in the Philippines after I graduate.
19. How did you decide what you wanted to do in life (career)? How do you feel about that choice? Mom: I chose to become the Accounting field because I like numbers and I excel with it. I am happy with my choice.
20. Has retirement been good or bad experience? Mom : Very good, I have a lot of time to the organization in church I volunteer and gardening.
21. What is your earliest memory? Mom: my 7th birthday, my parents gave me a puppy and I named her mimi.
22. What was the happiest moment of your life? Mom: every time I see my family- sons, daughter and grandkids is always a happy moment for me.
23. Did your mother have a favorite saying you can remember her repeating? Mom: “If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor”
24. What things you can do now that you can’t do when you were younger? Mom: More time to my garden. I have a lot more flower plant that I am able to make an arrangement and send it to my friends for their birthdays.

PSYCHOSOCIAL
25. What’s your typical day like now? How is it different from your daily routines in the past? Mom : I still wake up early, but no rushing like when I was working. Got time to prepare breakfast and read newspaper with my husband. I have plenty of time in the garden and able to watch my teleserye (Filipino telenovela) in the afternoon.
26. Do you still go out with your friends? Mom : sometimes, but most of the time I visit them to their place or I invited them over here.
27. What’s the most memorable vacation you had? Mom: My 60th birthday at the same time retirement party, my sons and daughters treat me to Caribbean cruise.
28. How is your relationship with your son, daughter and grandkids? Mom: very good, everyone is always here whenever I need them. My grandkids are adorable, I always want them here. My kids always take me whenever they go on vacation too.
29. Looking back, is there anything happen in your life that you want to change? Mom: No, my life is not perfect- I encountered a lot of struggles and challenges but these keeps me strong and make me who I am right now.
30. What’s your most cherished family tradition? Why is it important? Mom: dinner on Christmas day because I grew up celebrating it with the whole family in the Philippines.
31. Do you have anything special that you keep until now? Mom : Photographs of my family – mom, dad and grandparents.
32. Do you have any expectations at points in your life about what growing older would be like for you? Mom : I am expecting that I will be treated well when I grow older.
33. Do you attend church? Mom: yes, every Sunday I even volunteer to church activities- fund raising and fiestas.
34. How do you describe

BIOSOCIAL
When I asked mom Ida if she tell people her age, she said that no because she thinks senior citizen that won’t be able to do things. This reflects ageism, the idea that age determines who you are (Berger, 499). Contrary to the text, this doesn’t impair her daily life or affects her self-esteem because she looks younger than her real age. The change in her sleep pattern is also a sign of ageism (Berger, 500.
I asked mom Ida if she wore glasses and said only when she read and still able to drive without it. This explains the wear and tear theory of aging. This theory contends that the body wears out part by part after years of use. This theory explains how her hearing was changed a little bit as she said.
Aging slows down in most living organism with calorie restriction but with mom Ida’s case, she said that she gained more body fats. According to the text, scientist recommends exercise, a moderate diet, and staying away from harmful drugs will lead to longer life which I believed she was doing right now (Berger, 505).

COGNITIVE
Mom Ida believed that her working memory gradually slows down as she aged because she can’t memorize a phone number easily just like when she is younger. According to text, working memory, the information held in the brain for a moment before processing shrinks with age. Memory is affected by aging, but specifics vary (Berger, 513). That is why she still remembers her 7th birthday and the present she got and remembering the changes happens in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s decade is remarkable.
When I asked mom Ida what things she can do now that she can’t do when she was younger, she said more time to her garden. For her, “old age can be a time of emotional sensory awareness and enjoyment” (Berger, 527). She also mentioned that she is actively volunteering to some organization and in the church which gives her happiness and deeper spirituality than ever. This shows that mom Ida reached the Maslow’s highest stage of development which is the self-actualization.
For question number sixteen: As we get older, do we get wiser? Mom Ida said “definitely, I learned from what happens in the past- good and bad experiences”. That is why in some cultures, the elders make the decision because they already gone through and has dealt with all the things they are encountering right now. Contrary to this, according to our text, wisdom does not necessarily increase with age, but some people are unusually wise and insightful (Berger, 528).
PSYCHOSOCIAL
Mom Ida says that her typical days are full of activities-gardening, volunteering at church, walking, and visiting friends. Many elderly seek to remain active with relatives, friends and community group; this is called activity theory (Berger, 540). After retirement, mom find ways how to enjoy herself that benefited her health and the community.
I asked mom Ida if there is anything happen in her life that she wants to change. She said nothing; this shows no regrets and a feeling of satisfaction. She is also content and feeling proud of her accomplishments in her career and her family. According to our textbook, those who feel proud of their accomplishments will feel a sense of integrity (Berger, 536).
I noticed that mom Ida likes to talks about happy thoughts. All her answers regarding her favorite vacation, cherished family traditions, her relationship with the family reflects happy memories. She did not mention any regrets, bad experiences or what she doesn’t like. This is an example of the positivity effect. The positivity effect means that elderly people are more likely to perceive, prefer and remember positive images and experiences than negative ones.

What I have learned….
At first, I am skeptical of doing this interview with my mother in-law because I’ve known her as a very private person so I’m glad that she accepted and answered all my questions in all honesty as much as she can. There is so much to learn around her.
First, I’ve learned that we should not put a label on the capability of our elders. Just like me, they have their own individual hopes, desires and lifestyle too. For me, the only thing that may distinguish them from the younger generation is that they focus more on what matters in life, less glitz and glamour, and more focused on meaningful experience and deeper friendships.
I used to think that age is a state of mind, but after this interview I’ve learned that it is also a state of body. We can continue to be young at heart and enjoy and explore life. It’s important to find the balance at any stage of the life adventure. So, aging is not something that we should be afraid of.